Circumferential bleed valve



April 1962 E. c. SHOUP, JR 3,030,006

CIRCUMFERENTIAL BLEED VALVE Filed May 27. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F l G lIN VENTOR EDGAR C- SHOUF', JR.

BY ATTORNEY April 17, 1962 E. c. SHOUP, JR

CIRCUMFERENTIAL BLEED VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27. 1958 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent ()fiiice 3,03%,W Patented Apr. 17, 1962 3,030,006tZRCUMFERENTIAL BLEED VALVE Edgm C. Shoup, Jr., Glastonbury, Conn,assignor to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn, acorporation of Delaware Filed May 27, 1958, Ser. No. 738,177 4 Claims.((31. 230-414) This invention relates to a valve structure and isparticularly adapted for a bleed valve for use in compressors such as anaxial flow compressor used in connection with a gas turbine power plant.

Valves of this type must when in use allow a large volume of gas or airto bleed through when the valve is open but must be readily and quicklyclosed in order to discontinue the flow of air when bleeding of thecompressor is no longer necessary. In order to obtain the desired largeflow area, the valve is, in accordance with the present invention, inthe form of a ring preferably as large in diameter as possible withinthe limitation of the machine with radially extending passages or portswhich are closed by the movable valve or sleeve. Further in accordancewith this invention, the valve is made to move axially uniformly inclosing or opening the ports.

One of the principal features of the invention is a valve structurewhich will be easily operable, at the same time providing asubstantially annular flow passage of large area.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the specificationand claims, and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of one stage of an axial fiowcompressor showing the invention, the section being in part along theline 1-1 of FIG. 3.

PEG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 on a radial sectionspaced angularly from that of FIG. 1, this section being along the line2-2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a developed bottom view of a portion of the valve and theactuating system.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 of aportion of the ring and the actuating system.

FIG. 5 is a view of a detail substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

The invention is shown as applied to an axial flow compressor having arow of stator vanes 2 the outer ends of which are supported from acasing 4 through a shroud ring 6 and the inner ends of which are carriedby an inner shroud ring 8 attached to a housing or diaphragm 10. Thehousing is connected by radial struts 12 to a ring 14 forming anextension of the casing 4.

Downstream of the stator vanes 2 is a row of blades 16 carried by arotor disc 18. The arrangement shows only a single stage in amulti-stage axial flow compressor of the type described in detail in theSavin Patent 2,747,367. The rotor disc 18 is connected through aplurality of axially extending botls 20 to an adjacent disc 22 and to anend bell 24 of the rotor. The latter is supported within the housing asby a bearing 26.

The invention is in a valve structure which controls the how of air fromthe space 28 surrounding the end bell 24 and the space 30 inside of theend bell. These spaces communicate through openings 31 in the end bell.The valve structure 32 is constructed to allow the flow of air into anannular space 34 formed between spaced shields 36 and 38 so that the airis discharged into the gas path of the compressor at a point adjacentthe trailing edges of the stator vanes at their inner ends. The airenters the spaces 28 and 30 from the gas path at a point downstream ofthe row of blades 16 in a manner shown,

for example, in Baumann 2,418,801 and the valve of this application isthus comparable in function to the control valve of that patent.

The valve structure 32 includes a stationary valve base or housing 40attached as by bolts 42 to the housing 10. A labyrinth seal 44 carriedby the disc 18 engages an inner cylindrical portion of the valve housing40 to close the space between the disc and the main housing 1.0. Thevalve housing 40 has a plurality of radially extending passages 46, theouter ends of which are normally closed by a valve sleeve 48 engagingwith a cylindrical surface 50 on the valve housing 40 and having radialsealing surfaces 52 and 54 engaging respectively with cooperatingsurfaces 56 and 58 on the valve housing.

The valve sleeve 48 is moved axially in order to open radial passages 46for the flow of air therethrough. ,To accomplish this, the sleeve 48 isconnected to the valve housing 40 by a plurality of links 60 which areangularly spaced from one another and which, when the valvev sleeve isin closed position extend substantially axially as shown in FIG. 3. Oneend of each link is connected by a spherical joint 62 to a stud 64 onthe sleeve and the other end of the link is connected by a sphericaljoint 66 to a stud 68 on the valve housing 40. With a plurality ofangularly spaced links of this type connecting the housing to thesleeve, it will be apparent that a circumferential movement of thesleeve 48 will result in axial movement of the sleeve for uncovering theports. This axial movement is uniform throughout the circumference ofthe sleeve by reason of the positioning of the several equally spacedparallel links 60.

The angular or circumferential movement of the sleeve is provided from ashaft 70 positioned axially within the housing 10 and having anactuating lever 72 at one end by which the rod may be turned, the otherend of th shaft 70 carries an arm 74 substantially radially in alignmentwith the downstream edge of the sleeve 48. The outer end of this arm isconnected through a pivotal joint 76 to a rod 78 which in turn isconnected by another pivotal joint 80 to a pin 82, FIG. 5, on the sleeve43. Thus rocking of the arm 72 by any suitable mechanism will causecircumferential movement of the sleeve resulting in axial movement ofthe sleeve for opening or closing of the ports.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiment herein illustrated and described but may be used in otherways without departure from its spirit as defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A bleed valve for a compressor having a rotor with an axis aboutwhich it rotates, the bleed valve including a movable valve ring coaxialwith the rotor, a valve housing cooperating with said ring, said housinghaving a plurality of openings therein arranged in a circumferentiailyextending row coaxial with the valve ring and adapted to be uncovered bysaid ring in response to axial movement of said ring, circumferentiallyspaced means for causing axial movement of the entire ringsimultaneously, and said housing having sealing surfaces on axiallyopposite sides of the openings for engagement with said ring, each ofsaid sealing surfaces being a radial surface on the housing forengagement with a cooperating radical surface of the ring.

2. A compressor having a row of stator vanes, a diaphragm radiallyinward of said vanes, a rotor adjacent to said diaphragm and having arow of blades thereon cooperating with the row of vanes, a valve basemounted on said diaphragm and having a row of openings therethrough, aseal element mounted on the rotor and having a cooperating sealingengagement with said valve base, a valve ring slidable on said base andadapted to movement into and out of a position covering said openingsand means mounted on said diaphragm for moving said ring axially tocover or uncover said openings.

3. A compressor having a row of stator vanes, a diaphragm radiallyinward of said vanes, a rotor adjacent to said diaphragm and having arow of blades thereon cooperating with the roW of vanes, a valve basemounted on said diaphragm and having a TOW of openings therethrongh, aseal element mounted on the rotor and having a cooperating sealingengagement with said valve base, said base having a cylindrical portion,a valve ring axially slidable on said cylindrical portion and adapted tomove into and out of a position covering said openings, an air passagefrom the inner ends of the stator vanes to said openings in the valvebase, the inner ends of said openings communicating with the interior ofthe rotor.

4. A compressor having a row of stator vanes, a diaphragm extendinginwardly from said vanes and a rotor adjacent to said diaphragm andhaving a row of blades thereon cooperating with the row of vanes, incombination with a valve housing mounted on said diaphragm and having arow of openings therein, a valve ring slidable on said housing andadapted by avial movement relative to said housing to uncover the row ofopenings therein, circumferentially spaced links, each link beingpivotally connected to the housing at one end and to the ring at theother end for causing axial movement of the entire ring simultaneously,means connected to said ring for moving the ring circumferentiallythereby causing a resultant axial movement greater than the action ofthe References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS249,325 Edwards Nov. 8, 1881 552,396 Pyle Dec. 31, 1895 1,004,230Balcorne Sept. 26, 1911 1,415,981 Bouche May 16, 1922 1,929,157 WallerOct. 3, 1933 2,015,502 Trumpler Sept. 24, 1935 2,151,724 Wengel et alMar. 28, 1939 2,308,679 Eason Jan. 19, 1943 2,418,801 Baumann Apr. 8,1947 2,458,198 Poole Jan. 4, 1949 2,630,999 Lee Mar. 10, 1953 2,631,000Lee Mar. 10, 1953 2,654,448 Benson Oct. 6, 1953 2,741,423 Lombard Apr.10, 1956 2,819,836 Eberle Jan. 14, 1958 2,831,627 Brunner Apr. 22, 1958FOREIGN PATENTS 879,280 Germany June 11, 1953

